Page 272 - Malay sketches

MALAY SKETCHES

village, talked to the people, and in the absence of
the headman I sent for his deputy. He came
accompanied by four or five men all armed to the
teeth, and we had a conversation wherein I think
"
each side did its best to bluff" the other. It so
happened that we had come away without the pro-
clamations, and I asked the headman to send to
Kuala Kangsar, when I got back, and I would give
the papers, that he might post them in Kota Lama.
He said they only acknowledged one chief in

K6ta Lama, and he was the Raja Bendahara, and
they would do nothing without his orders. I told
them I would ask the Bendahara to give the
"
but What about
necessary instructions, inquired,
"
the Sultan ? To which they replied that he lived
a long way off. They added, "We won't hinder
you if you want to post the proclamations," but
they did not say it in the politest fashion, and I
told them the permission was unnecessary, as, if I
had had the proclamations, I should have posted
them. After this we had a long and comparatively
and it was dark when left
friendly talk, nearly I
them.
Raja Mahmud stood by and said nothing, but
they knew well enough who he was, and it is
possible they might have acted differently had he
256